File the FAFSA early, PHEAA access partner says during Financial Aid Awareness Month

Tiffany DeVann, host of the Higher Education Access Corner and an access partner with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), urged students and families to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, as soon as possible so they can be considered for federal, state and institutional aid.

"The biggest thing in the first step is to complete the free application for federal student aid or FAFSA form," DeVann said, stressing that the FAFSA is the gateway to need-based aid from federal, state and school sources.

The FAFSA determines eligibility for three broad types of financial aid in this order of priority: grants and scholarships (gift aid that does not require repayment), work-study positions, and student loans, which must be repaid and should be a last resort. DeVann advised applicants to seek gift aid first, consider work-study if they can balance employment and…